Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-16

What the Steerage Is Like-A Bit of
Rough Weather-An Aggregation of
Odors-A Bed on Deck-How Meals
Were Served.
The berths in the steerage are not reserved;
they are free, and the custom of leaving the
baggage in them, denoting THAI they are
taken, is not regarded. The usurper coolly
throws out the first occupant, bedding, tins
and baggage, not caring if they are injured
or not, then falls asleep and does not awaken
until its first possessor finds another place.
Some one quietly appropriated mine and had
thrown my tins in an adjoining bunk. All |
were found except that indispensable article, |
my bright iron spoon, which was either lost |
or taken to complete some one else's outfit. |
The stewards are good fellows and will give |
extra Accommodations for a dollar or two |
They will wash the tins for the small sum of
81, and will place in your berth free of
charge.
One of the difficulties of steerage pasSell-
ger is TO dress and undress The usual way
| is to hang the pants on the end OF the berth,
| jump into them and quickly grasp hold of
| the planks to keep from being thrown against
| the sides of the boat when it makes Il mrch.
| Another way is to kneel, but many a head
| was bumped against the iron beams when the
| person arose to fix his suspenders. Nearly all,
| however, went to bed without undressing
| The women have separate apartments in
| the same part of the boat, and all become ac
| quainted in a short time. They were carrying
| on busy conversations, and the different Ian
guages poured out in a torrent, which never
ceased except when the boat gave hrch,
and then only for a moment. Dirty faced
children, with their cries and screams added
| to the melody of sounds. | qualTeled with
| myself for going steerage, but it was too late.
| With sigh of regret | went on deck. The
water was calm and beautiful; n pleasant
breeze was blowing and the ride was enjoy
able,
: Toward night the water became rougher
and the boat began to rock Many began 10
experience a dizzy and unpleasant feeling,
which constantly grew worse. In a short
time the gentle laughter and sweet>songs had
suddenly changed | looked around There
was scarcely woman on deck, and the men
| had well nigh deserted il. Lemons and
oranges were in demand. The bar was prof
itably patronized. The countenances which
few hours before were bright and happy
were now pale and troubled. | paced the
!. deck, as did many others, in the bracing air,
with the hope of driving away the miserable
feeling. 1t was in vain. | had 10 give up.
: All had stopped walking and had taken their
positions at the railing and were gazing eaT1l-
estly at the water They may have been
looking at the phosphorescent light. but |
doubt it. We were made worse by the com
| bined odors OF carbolic acid, chlorate of lime
(which was thrown around profuselyl new
paint, tar and grease, and other things known
to those who travel on ships. These smell,
made me deathly sick, made me hate the
boat, everybody and everything on IL
1t is the sailors duty to sweep the decks
but they ought to have extra pay, and il
i should be collected from the steerage passen
;. gers. The men were immoderate smokers
and the scent OF bad tobacco was another dis
= agreeable odor mixed with those that wer,
~ already rendering my stomach weak.
y Polish Jew carried the largest and filthies
pipe, and many times during the day ant
n, night this big bowl of intolerable scents coul,
r. be seen hanging from his mouth. The sicl
r persons slept on deck all night, dreading L
an go in the steerage on account OF the horribl
y smell which pervaded it, The sailors worke,
It, the whole night managing the sails and w,,sf
ing the decks, and often the sieepers wer
- aroused by the scrubbers' hose The bar
"a deck was the principal bed; mine was a co
4 of rope and. notwithstanding the noise, fe
q into refreshing sleep.
& The seasick people would come to the table
I and try to eat, but as soon as any greasy Zoo
y was taken the party sought the railing of I'll
Il boat or the cutters in the steerage Finall
Y they took to their berths, and when the stew
ards came at meal times to give each his po
tion, they. like some Rip Van Winkle wit
81 shaggy beard and unkempt hair, poked the
u heads from their berths and showed the
q plates and basins at the steward to be file
q up. There they sat and ate. If the food ha
y the wrong effect, they stretched their he5,
4 over the berth and looked at the door Son
d ate and washed in the same basin, for it w
too much trouble to carry whole dinner Sc
The steward every morning swept out u
lly steerage, though the agents of the steamsh
in lines say they are washed out, and sprinkl'
IN. M the floor with sawdust, chloride of lime ca
the bolic acid, etc.
M In three DAYS the storage passengers we
all well, and when the dining bell rung eve
III one rushed to the tables. The steward des
ork out from large buckets each mans share, al
to the credit of the steerage they behav
. very well, though table etiquette seemed o
of place 1t is different coming to Ameri
sk the class of people is so unlike. SOmetiu
four or five are in straight jackets at on;
The food was in good condition and W
10 cooked, and every one got plenty. We we
lei given for breakfast coffee, tea, bread, o.
meal and butter; for dinner, vegetable sou
boiled beef, potatoes, rice and stewed appl
a, Sometimes this would be changed, and
Sunday cherry pudding would be given i
dessert; for supper the same as for breaffa
81 Who cannot hive on this for seven da,
Many steerage passenger fares better
the boat than he does in his own home. j.
meTly the steerage passenger was given
; ;ta, DAYS allowance, but he had to cook it: a
and this is probably the reason why many bri
canned food with them, thinking they hG
o,~ to do their own cooking. Now, by getti
lier | ON the good side of the cooks and paw
ns1 them s., they may get almost cabin fare
~ After eating all go on deck to wash tn
tins, The rest of the day would bespeni
,ocs lounging around, sleeping on deck, play
cards ard telling yarns AT night those .
. had any music III them would sing
songs. They would he accompanied h'
broken winded accordion or bya nelanch
flute The most respectable would join in
MI songs and sports OF the sailors and ca
IN, boys; and many an evening was pleasar
spent in this way. Some of them, raj
than be idle, would help to do the work,
M when the sails were put out many as CO
Us pulled on the ropes.
The steerage passengers get over sea s
ors' ness sooner than the cabin passengers,
have so much richer food. Some Of the CO
I. passengers were sick the entire trip,
would come on deck the day before land
perhaps afraid of being quarantined
To cross the ocean for health, it is, in
opinion, mistake for u young man to
IL. cabin Because the cabin is so finely
. nished that when he gets sea sick he viii
to his berth, and, having some one TO wal
Mt him, he viii very likely stay there during
whole voyage; whereas, the steerage b
not So comfortable, and the odOrs no
pleasant, he will be forced on deck, the =
n where he ought to be-''A- L. s." in ka
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